Bacolod City: The Heritage Walkabout: Silay City: Part III

The next destination is "Silay City" where June 12 marks their independence  from the spaniards. We were caught up in the middle of the parade and the street dance as they are show casing the legend of their city- Silay.

A glimpse of the mighty "Lawaan" 

The warrior Lawaan about to fight Lunok

A picture of a sturdy tree found in Silay City

While inside the coaster, Miss Grace, one of our tour guide shared to us on how the name - "Silay" came out to be: And the legend of the place was told this way:

There was once a beautiful lady named kansilay who had a fiance named lawaan. He and the father of kansilay went out to the forest to hunt. Kansilay was left at home together with the other maidens. Unexpectedly, came the bandits and they killed and raped the women. Kansilay sought help of a "diwata", the goddess of the flowers, and the diwata handed her a sword and told her it is a weapon and not a magic sword. She gathered the women and they fought Lunok, the head of the bandits. Kansilay together with the other maidens were engaged in a fierce battle. She was seriously wounded.

Lawaan and his men arrived and they helped in defeating Lunok; Unfortunately, Kansilay was killed.

The burial of Kansilay was surrounded with a lot of mourning villagers at the top of the hill. Time passed, there grew a plant in the mound of kansilay and later on became a sturdy tree which the villagers called "Silay"  in honor of the maiden.

The next stop was the church of San Diego de Alcala built in 1925. Architectural design done by an Italian Architect, Mr. Lucio Bernasconi - the great grand father of a good friend of mine. 

A Romanesque Architectural design by an Italian Artist, Lucio Bernasconi

An inscription of the history of the church found at the front of the church

A view of the only church in silay with a dome design

My friend, Nicole Bernasconi standing in front of her great grandfather's piece of art